WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expressed confidence in his newly installed defense secretary Thursday morning as the commander in chief hosted an honor ceremony just outside the Pentagon for Mark Esper.
“Secretary Esper, your lifetime of noble service has prepared you for this immense responsibility. And that’s what it is: immense responsibility,” Trump said standing in front of a large formation of troops from each service. “I have no doubt — I know you well — that you will thrive in the performance of your duties and make all Americans – everybody in this great country – very, very proud.”
An honor parade, cannon fire and military music on the Pentagon’s parade field marked Esper’s arrival Thursday as Trump’s second defense secretary. It was the first such full honor ceremony for a new defense secretary in recent years, according to defense officials.
Esper was sworn into office as the 27th defense secretary Tuesday after he was confirmed to fill the long-vacant position by a 90-8 Senate vote earlier that day. Esper, who most recently served as Army secretary, is a U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate and former Army infantry officer who has worked on Capitol Hill and as a top lobbyist for Raytheon, a major defense contracting company.
His swearing in Tuesday in a private White House ceremony marked the end of an unprecedented seven months in which the U.S. military was led by acting defense secretaries. Esper replaces Jim Mattis, who left the Pentagon on Dec. 31 after resigning in protest over some of Trump’s policies.
Esper on Thursday listed a series of challenges that he and the military are facing throughout the world, including an increasingly aggressive Iran and ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and in the Middle East. He vowed to build a new military service – the U.S. Space Force. And he promised to continue to build military combat readiness in preparation for future wars potentially with rival powers such China and Russia.
“Mr. President, thank you, sir, for your confidence in me and this incredible opportunity. It is an honor of a lifetime to be appointed secretary of defense and to lead the greatest military in history,” Esper said. “Today, we are ready to face any challenge, anytime, anywhere as we continue to stand guard around the world.”
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